A wind-driven wildfire charred dozens of acres in the sparsely developed northeastern reaches of San Diego County, damaging structures and forcing pre-dawn evacuations before crews could gain the upper hand on the flames Wednesday.

"The fire is growing with a moderate rate of spread and structures are threatened," Cal Fire said as it issued evacuation orders.

A wind-driven wildfire charred dozens of acres in a sparsely developed area south of Pala Mesa on Tuesday, damaging structures and forcing pre-dawn evacuations before crews could gain the upper hand on the flames.

Forward progress was stopped on the Lilac fire around 10 a.m. It was one of three fires in North County early Tuesday.

Several counties in Southern California faced "critical" fire risks this week, according to an AccuWeather forecast.

Three wildfires broke out in quick succession overnight and into early Tuesday in northern San Diego County, California.

LA County Sheriff says about 31,000 people were under mandatory evacuation orders while another 23,000 were under evacuation warnings.

Stay informed about the latest on the California wildfires. Learn about the dangerous winds and fire conditions in Southern California.

A rare Particularly Dangerous Situation warning has been issued for Southern California as a powerful and potentially damaging Santa Ana wind event​ is expected.

For the latest updates on the LA and San Diego fires, follow USA TODAY's coverage for Wednesday, Jan. 22. SAN DIEGO — Multiple wildfires broke out in San Diego County on Tuesday, prompting evacuation orders,

Critical fire weather conditions continued for areas of Southern California on Wednesday ... of low humidity and an expected uptick in Santa Ana winds, according to the National Weather Service.

Two new fires ignited in San Diego County on Tuesday, as firefighters continue fighting blazes further north in Los Angeles.